Pininfarina Alfa Romeo 2uettottanta Concept - 2010 Geneva Auto Show

This alluring concept hints at the next-generation Alfa Spider.

Perhaps no single car at the Geneva Auto Show is as steeped in meaning as this 2-seat concept for Alfa Romeo prepared by the legendary styling house of Pininfarina. The Turin-based design operation has been working with Alfa for 80 years and to commemorate the Milanese automaker's centennial, it has created this small sports car that points toward the future.

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The 2uettotanta evokes the name of the legendary Duetto spider, launched in the 1960s and immortalized in the coming-of-age film, The Graduate. The aim of the Alfa Romeo 2uettotanta is to create a simple 2-seater, which is equipped with a longitudinally mounted turbocharged 1750 cc 4-cylinder engine, a powerplant that evokes memories of the 1750 Veloce. Most important, this engine drives the rear wheels, a change from the current front-drive Alfa Spider and a return to the original Duetto and its successors.

Riding on a 98.4-in. wheelbase, the car measures a compact 165.8 in. overall and is 70.7 in. across the beam. The car is divided by a central character line starting at the Alfa Romeo shield on the nose—which is flanked by two triangular inlets. The side of the car emphasizes a single volume that tapers toward a rear highlighted by soft surfaces. The effect is a blend of sculptural elements with just a hint of tension from the character lines.

Inside, Pininfarina has picked up on design cues from the original Duetto, like the perforated leather-covered three-spoke steering wheel, three classic barrel-shaped binnacles for the main instruments, and a central tunnel that emphasizes that this is a rear-drive car.

The 2uettotanta Concept is also fitted with custom tires from Dunlop, mounted on lightweight alloy wheels whose design is a new interpretation of the classic five-circle Alfa Romeo pattern. The high-tech carbon-ceramic brakes are from Brembo.

Pininfarina says the 2uettotanta is more than just a styling exercise; it's research into the next-generation Alfa Romeo Spider, which is intended to be part of the Italian automaker's return to the U.S. as early as 2012.

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